Another Busy Backyard Owl Season

 

Fast and furious is how I would describe what I immediately noticed upon our return from Boston on May 29. 

I got out of our car in the driveway ready to take in suitcases when I heard that distinctive young owl sound. 

I have described the sound as a shrill hiss or whistle. My neighbor calls it a screech. The sound is clearly not the hoot associated with owls. 

For four of five years in this time period: mid -to-late May to mid-to-late June, Barred Owls have been making daytime visits to the trees at my house and some neighbors yards. Here are links to a few of my posts in previous years. 

•  June 2022 Post (includes an owl in a birdbath on our back porch!)
• June 2023 Post

These are young Barred Owls that may not know that they are nocturnal. While the parents are sleeping during the day, the youngsters fly away to play. That could be what is going on- curiosity about this big wide world they are part of now. 

 

I certainly welcome the Barred Owls- they will never be barred from my yard lol.

I greatly enjoy photographing them. They are not afraid of me. I can zoom in from a distance and they will stay still and just stare. 

This year there have been a few firsts. Early one evening this owl perched on a plant stand for a spell, striking a nice pose. It almost looks photoshopped, right? Nope, it’s real and I think I was on the back porch and happened to have camera in hand- lucky! 

I have also recorded two short videos. The first was just a day or two after the previous close encounter. This time an owl perched on our main bird feed setup. 

So why do Barred Owls seem to like my backyard in the spring? I think the image below tells why. We have lots of trees, we have lots of feeders that attract lots of birds (and squirrels) that owls may crave to catch and eat. Plus, I suspect in the woods behind the nearby cul de sac on my street there are Barred Owl nests that have been there for years. 

To follow is a series of photos I took on June 9, just before Alesia and I flew west for our Colorado- New Mexico trip. This addresses the food source attraction. This Barred Owl was eating something up in that tree in my backyard, maybe a squirrel, maybe a bird, I couldn’t tell. 

Note the second owl in the photo below, just down from the top one on the branch.

I am writing this post on June 18. We returned early this morning (2 a.m.-ish) from our 10-day Southwest adventure. The Barred Owls don’t seem to be around anymore. That’s fine for the short season they gave me was incredible and I have the pictures and video to document it. 

I hope this group of owl. Oops, I should say this "parliament" of owls. Parliament because the Ancient Greeks considered owls to be very wise! 

I also read where Barred Owls usually live up to 10 years in the wild and 20 years or so in captivity. I hope that these amazing creatures, as Spock said on "Star Trek," live long and prosper.